
Babak Mehrara talks about the expertise of Memorial Sloan-Kettering plastic surgeons and how patients with breast cancer and head and neck cancer benefit from recent advances in reconstructive surgery.
I am a plastic surgeon who specializes in surgical reconstruction after cancer surgery. Using a variety of techniques, including microsurgical transfer, implants, and local flaps, my colleagues and I aim to restore the appearance and function of cancer patients who have undergone surgery to remove tumors. I have a particular interest in facial reconstruction, facial re-animation, and breast reconstruction. I am currently studying the use of perforator flaps (such as DIEP and SGAP flaps) in breast reconstruction.
Perforator flaps represent the evolution of microsurgical tissue transfer and are distinct from more traditional microsurgical procedures because they enable the transfer of tissues based solely on their blood supply (vascular pedicle). Unlike more traditional microsurgical flaps, perforator flaps avoid the use of donor muscles such as the rectus (abdominal) or gluteal (buttock) and are associated with decreased pain and faster recovery.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Breast and Facial Reconstruction; Microsurgery
MD, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
NYU Medical Center
UCLA Medical Center
Plastic Surgery